Needle cylinder for knitting machines



H. T. BALLARD.

NEEDLE CYLINDER FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED .IUNE'I8. I92I.

Patented Nb.14, 1922.

UNITED STATES HERBERT r. BALLARD, or Nonnrsr'owN, PENNSYLVANIA.

NEEDLE CYLINDER FOR .'KNITTING MACHINES.

Speccaton of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

Application filed. June 18, 1921. Serial No. 78,579.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hnnnnr T. BALLARD, a citizen of Great Britain,residing in Norristown, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvementsin Needle Cylinders `for Knitting Machines, of which the iollowing is aspecification,

My invention relates to needle cylinders for knitting machines andespecially to that type of cylinder which has an annular series ofsinkers or web-holders secured thereto around the top, these sinkersalternating with the needles and consisting of steel bits set intoradial grooves in the top of the cylinder and being hooked so as tocatch and retain the sinker wales of the knitted web as the needlesrise.

lThe object of my invention is to so mount the sinkers upon the cylindertop that they will be lirmly and positively held in their predeterminedpositions but at the same time will be readily releasable so that abent, broken or otherwise injured sinker may be quickly and easilyremoved. This object l accomplish in the manner hereinafter set forth,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. l is avertical sectional view. of a knitting machine needle cylinder equippedwith sinkers mounted in accordance with my invention;

F ig. 2 is a similar View of the cylinder and sinlrers in disassociatedrelation, and

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a certain sleeve and nut employed inconnection with the cylinder and sinkers shown in Fig. 2.

Referring, in the first instance, to Fig. l, l show a needle cylinder l,threaded at la at its lower end to screw into the bed plate of aknitting` machine, and equipped at its top with sinkers 2 which areretained in position by meansAo-f a sleeve 3 centrally disposed withinthe cylinder l.k For purposes of clarity and to avoid confusion in theshowing, only the two sinkers at diametrically opposite sides of thecylinder are illustrated in the drawing.

The upper end of the cylinder l is provided with a series of radialslots or grooves 4- (Fig. 2), each of which receives one of the sinkers2 and provides side bearings therefor. Each sinker 2 is provided with adownwardly depending tail 2*1 the rear face ci which abuts against theinner face 5 of the top of the cylinder whereby radial bearing isprovided for the sinkers. To insure this radial bearing by forcing thesinkers radially outward, the inner face of each sinker is bevelled, asshown at 2b, Fig. 2, and coperating with the bevelled faces of thesinkers is the outer face of an outwardly llaring head 6, (Fig. 3) onthe sleeve 3 which is disposed within the cylinder. Preferably, theinner tace of the head 6 is bevelled as shown in Figs. l and 2, so thatit will not interfere with the free delivery of web from the needles.The lower end of the sleeve 3 projects downwardly below the bottom ofthe cylinder l and is threaded for the reception of a retaining nut 7.The upper tace of this nut bears against the lower face of the bottom ofthe cylinder and, as it is tightened upon the threaded lower end of thesleeve 3, serves not only to retain the sleeve in position but alsoimparts the necessary downward pull to it which results in the firmmaintenance of the Haring head 6 against the bevelled inner faces of thesinlrers. Thus the rigid mounting of the sinkers is insured. The loweredge of the nut 7 is preferably provided with a pair of diametricallyopposite notches, as shown, so that it may readily be engaged by a screwdriver or equivalent tool, and thereby manipulated.

lhould any of the sinkers become bent, broken or otherwise damaged, itsreplacement is but a simple matter. The nut 7 is unscrewed from thebottom of the sleeve 3 and the latter is removed, vertically. Thesinkers are thus exposed and any of them may be lifted from its place.To again assemble the parts it is merely necessary to lower the sleeveto position and replace its nut.

While my invention is designed especially for use in connection withneedle cylinders of relatively small diameter and is partic-` ularlyVapplicable to such use, it is not limited in this manner, as it canreadily be adapted for use with cylinders of larger size withoutdeparture vfrom the spirit of my invention.

Y l claim:

l. The combination of a radially slotted needle cylinder, sinkers set inthe slots, said sinlrers having bevelled inner faces, a sleeve disposedwithin said cylinder, a flaring head on said sleeve engaging thebevelled inner faces of the sinkers, and releasable means for impartingdownward pull to said sleeve.

2. rThe combination of a. radially slotted threaded lower end of saidsleeve and bearing against the lovvei` face of the bottom of thecylinder.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my naine to this specification.

HERBERT T. BALLARD.

